Small Stream Surveys

In 2003, members of the Heiltsuk Nation, volunteers, and staff of the Raincoast Conservation Foundation began small stream surveys in Heiltsuk Traditional Territory around Bella Bella, BC. Our objective was to document salmon presence in uncatalogued small streams and then expand this to other areas of the central and north coasts of BC.

Our interest in small streams stems from their importance to genetic diversity, as nutrient corridors for riparian habitats, food and access sources for bears and other predators, evolutionary opportunities, and fresh water rearing habitat for juvenile salmon, especially coho. When combined, small streams can also provide moderate salmon production which can be important for subsistence fisheries.

Between 2003 and 2006, we identified 121 streams in Heiltsuk territory with salmon and trout that had not previously been documented for fish presence. We also documented species of trout and salmon previously unrecorded in 25 known salmonid streams.

In 2008, Raincoast began a partnership with the Git Ga’at Nation to expand these surveys north into their traditional territory. In September 2008, we undertook a pilot season as part of the Coastal Archipelago Monitoring Project and surveyed 23 uncatalogued streams, finding salmon in eight of them.

These stream surveys build on local knowledge and create a comprehensive inventory of salmon resources. They have also identified important components of salmonid diversity and nutrient movement in this ecosystem. This project is an essential element to making informed decisions about land and marine use activities on the central and north coasts of BC.